Apostle of Dawn
by The Shard of Flame Ice
Summary: Sometimes, things happen because they do. Sometimes, they do because they shouldn't. Fate is cruel like that. And more so is Man. Such that when an old Daein woman finds a young silverette, it marks the beggining of the most decisive moment of mankind.
1. Prologue: A Chance Meeting

**Note: Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance or Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Or any Fire Emblem for that matter. No character or location from the games that may appear here belongs to me, sans any original of my own invention. Fire Emblem belongs to Intelligent Systems.**

**WARNINGS: _THERE WILL BE MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T FINISHED RADIANT DAWN!_ This story will also have dark moments, or may turn out to be fully dark in nature. You have been warned.**

**_Part I: Where Dawn Never Comes_**

**_Prologue: A Chance Meeting_**

**_

* * *

_**

Tellius is the crib of life. It is all that remains of a wondrous little world, where life and peace thrived.

Once, amazing beings ruled the world, neither laguz nor beorc.

Once, these beings lived in absolute harmony.

Once, there was a Mother Goddess named Ashunera.

_Once, long ago, Tellius was but a single speck upon the world._

_As crib of life, naturally Tellius had to deal with all kinds of characters in its history._

_Naturally it had to deal with all sorts of situations._

_Naturally, every now and again, a single, improbable event, leads to the most monumental of catastrophes._

* * *

_Slosh slosh_

**S**o went the sound. Sans the sound of a running river, the occasional grunt and the low howl of the cold winds, nothing else could be heard. Even the very critters that were either pests or food that dwelt around the area were silent. Such was the ghastly day that Rudis found herself waking up to.

_Slosh slosh_

"Hhrrg… Hmmp… What a terrible day…", grumbled the old woman as she went about her business, which was to try and scrub off all the dirt and mud off the clothes she had in her hands. A small, worn and decayed wooden basket was at her side on the riverbed, small pieces of fabric that could be described as nothing else but rags, and a few old dresses, haphazardly thrown onto it, all similarly dirty. A smaller pail was nearby, in which there was some wool, and a strange, foul-smelling liquid.

The clothes themselves were in bad shape, most had small holes, and some were missing sections of fabric altogether. Rags for clothing was nearly all they had, never mind the food and water. _Especially_ the water.

_Slosh slosh_

Rudis herself had seen better days. Gray, disarrayed and badly cut short hair. A small hump visible on her back. Stress lines clearly on her old, slightly pale face. An almost permanent frown. Though she had pride in her strength and endurance, at sixty-nine years old, even she would, grudgingly, admit that she was getting too old for this. Things were easier before her husband went and got himself killed. Casting an angry glance to the skies, she grunted, cursing the bastard for his overconfidence.

_Slosh slosh_

"Hrrmg… there…", she let out, throwing the stupid cloth to the bigger basket as if it was trash. She took a moment to use her hands to force her back to straighten, loud, audible pops and cracks heard. A small sigh of relief was let out. When her brief respite ended, she eyed the rest of the clothes left to clean disdainfully. "Those brats back home b'tter hafe made som'ting good…", she growled out lowly, nearly incomprehensibly thanks to missing various teeth and barely opening her mouth. With another grunt, she set back to work in finishing her task…

_Slosh slosh slosh slosh slosh…_

_

* * *

_

_Ow… It hurts… it hurts…_

**…**

_Mommy… Grandmother… it hurts…_

**…**

_Help me… Save me…_

**…**

_Please… I can hear him… _

**…**

_Please… no… not again… I want to forget…_

_**No!**_

_Who…?_

_**You mustn't!**_

_Why? It hurts…_

_**The pain will stop. I promise you! But you mustn't! You must not lose sight of yourself!**_

_But I want to forget…_

_**Don't!**_

_Forget… Forget all this happened… Forget… I must…_

_**No! Wait! Listen to me! Please!**_

_Forget… Forget… For…get…_

_**Listen to me! Listen to me! Do not negle**__**ct your past! Listen! Hey! HEY! LISTEN!**_

…

* * *

A low sizzling alerted the girl that the stew was nearly ready. Foregoing finishing her lecture until later, she left the two misbehaviors to themselves, who happily raced back outside to keep playing. Slowly lifting only a part some of the slightly bent cover, she sniffed a little. No, not quite. It still needed something else to add some more flavor. Pondering this, she left in search of something to improve the dinner. She only hoped they still had some herb or something like it in a cupboard.

Sancti sighed, slightly blowing some dark brown hair away from her face. Sometimes, being the oldest one was tough. Even so, she had work to do. She had to finish her duties for the day after all; she did not wish Rudis to strike her again for "shirking work".

She thought to herself, as she went about; _"Sometimes, I wish I had a little girl I could shape into and call a sister…"_

Of course, little did the seventeen-year old know, that her wish would come true before dinner even began…

* * *

"Ooffgh… Finish…" .

It had taken slightly longer than usual, given how dirty the clothes were, but that did not surprise Rudis. The kids were growing every day, so of course they would be more energetic the older they grew. Already she could see more troublemakers growing amongst the orphans, though she could tell some of them would grow to be pretty strong men in the future. Good. That would mean they could do all the stinking chores for her when she was too old for those. She was getting _too_ old. Perhaps it was time for some of them to begin making themselves useful, because she wasn't getting any younger.

Naturally, being in such a cranky mood, it was little surprise that she did not notice how the flow of the murky waters had slightly changed. Or how the water had turned just the slightest hint of red. Up until now she had busied herself with putting things into the baskets and preparing to leave, that is, until something rather… _colorful_ caught her eye. Red. A _bright red_ color that contrasted strongly with the dark and bleak landscape. And… was that _silver?_ Rudis stared at that one.

Indeed, what seemed like a red cloak with silver tendrils was lying on the bank, slightly obstructing and changing the water flow. Upon closer inspection, the water seeping into the cloth revealed the shivering form of a young girl. Rudis was completely perplexed. A young girl, who did not seem older than five or so years old, was lying, cold and alone, _abandoned_, upon the riverbank of the river of Occursus, dressed in what was obviously _very fine red _clothing, complete with a nearly sparkling mane of long, silver hair. The only other thing she could make out of this was the black tome she barely held onto with her small hands, which had letters in a language she had never seen in her life.

A grin slowly formed itself on her face. _What luck!_ She could take this cloth for herself! Her frame having become smaller across the years, it would fit her a little snugly, but comfortably. Or, she could carefully undo it, and use the fine silks to make herself something else. Or she could even take the silks and hope for a merchant of some kind to pass nearby and offer him the silks in exchange for food! Yes, what luck she had!

As for the kid… That's where her thoughts derailed. What would she do with it? She wanted, _needed_, that cloak of hers. Perhaps she could just leave her here, to fend for herself. She was a person who had suffered much because of poverty, so surely, she could excuse this act. Of course the grim future that awaited the child did not escape her if she did as such; she would most likely freeze to death without the robes, and even if she didn't, there was a chance one of those rare hungry animals might get to her… and eat her alive if she wasn't already dead by that point.

Blast it, she couldn't just take her home! The place was crammed as it was, and she did not need another sniveling brat who could do nothing! No matter how she looked or dressed like, this was Levidensis! The poor province of Daein! A hell on earth for those unlucky enough to be born here! She was already occupied enough, taking care of a bunch of orphans back home! There was no _need_ for some lost noble or something! She'd probably led a better life than her in those few years her body had! And yet…

The girl's whimpers would not cease. Her body's shaking would not stop. Her silent tears, which she had only just notice, too, showed no signs of stopping. And, to her horror, the various bruises that adorned her frail-looking arms, the cuts on what she could barely make out as legs, beaten and one in and odd-angle, _definitely broken_, and the way her blood stained the gravel and water… The mark on the girl's palm…

A _**Half-breed**__? _Just her luck… Being a half-breed reduced the chances of life for the girl. Such monsters… freaks of nature… Nothing good could come out of the union of a human and a sub-human! Nothing! Not even a tortured soul like this one…

…

Guilt was an interesting thing. It was funny too, in a cruel way. Like nearly all forms of psychological stimuli that are known as emotions, guilt, too, could make people do wonderful things just as much as they could do horrible things. Guilt was like a crushing weight on the mind, remorse and repentance for actions carried out by mind or will. Guilt compels one to seek a way to rid oneself of it, by attempting to do the opposite of what caused the guilt. Guilt also happened to be what was currently striking Rudis now. Since when did she grow so soft? Must have been the kids, she supposed.

She was faced with a choice, a difficult choice that was both life-changing for both, as well as monumental in the sense of what it represented for the world. Not that any knew this. She could take the cloak like she originally planned to; at the very least, she would not be cold in the night's anymore. She could also sell it away and live off the money for awhile too… And leave the child to die alone.

She could turn around, and act as if nothing ever happened. She knew what it meant to live in Levidensis. There was no way anyone born in it knew this girl, so no one would miss her. Simply ignore her, grab her things and go, and be done with it. And live as she always lived. Plagued by guilt, forever.

She could… end it. End the monster, save it the pain of its existence and that of the tumultuous life that no doubt awaited it. The hatred of humankind, the disdain of sub-humans and the judgment of the Goddess. Just a light twist of the neck with her strong hands would do… No. No! She would definitely not do this! She would not take a child's life!

Never. Call her an old wretch, a bitch, a poor mongrel, _anything_, but never a child killer.

So… That left her with…

Could she? Take another kid and raise it? She already had plenty… Could one more hurt? The thing was even beaten and bleeding. So—

"G…"

Hmm? She said something… "Wha?"

"Gr…Grand…mother… help… me…"

"_Grandmother…"_

Stirring more and more, the child curled into herself, showing signs of waking. Rudis crouched near her, watching impassive as the girl's eyes moved behind her eyelids, ever so slowly, coming closer to awakening. And at last, the lids slowly rose, and Rudis found herself staring at the sad face of an orphan. A face sadder than any other she had ever contemplated.

"Well damn… Kiddo, you 'ave some really pretty eyes 'ere.", she chuckled, grabbing some of the long hair that nearly covered the girl's eyes. "And silver 'air… har har har har!" The girl looked quite meek, but also somewhat… indignant? Well, this was one interesting kid.

"Well, looks like I've got anot'er mouth ta feed. No 'elping it. Can ya walk?" The girl seemed confused, but tried to stand. Immediately she fell, crying out in pain and further aggravating her wounds. Rudis winced. "Ok c'mere you—", but stopped, when the silver-haired kid vehemently shook her head. She watched, with silent amazement, as the girl grasped the old woman's shoulder before holding her breath and slowly, _through clenched teeth and tears_, through sheer force of will, began to stand. Slowly and slowly, she rose.

With a final push onto Rudis' shoulder, she managed to rise. Almost instantly she leant into Rudis for support, using only her left leg to stand, letting out a scream into Rudis' chest. Somewhat awkwardly, she rubbed the kid's back, though it was a somewhat rough motion given her nature. Inwardly, her respect for the half-breed went up a notch. Most of her boys would have been crying pitifully about how they wanted her to carry them. The ones that didn't wouldn't have managed the feat completely.

"As I 'as saying, c'mere you." Turning, she let the girl rest on her back. Very carefully, she made her wrap her fragile arms around her neck, and slowly felt for the legs. When she felt the arms tighten sharply, she knew she had them. Slowly she grabbed them and placed them at the sides of her waist. She could vaguely feel the right leg weakly pressing into her to keep herself from falling, but felt no response from the broken appendage. _"But of course."_, she thought. Grabbing the both of her baskets with the right hand, she used her left to sustain the left one in a way that would least hurt the girl.

Finally, carefully she stood, taking her time to balance herself with the charge on her back. Throughout all this, she could barely hear the girl weeping. Some of the silver hair was draping over her shoulders. Up close, she could see that the luscious locks were also somewhat matted in dirt and blood.

"So 'ven that was harmd…", she sighed. This was going to be a long trip… "''Ey, kid. Ya got a name?" She could feel the negative shake of her head. "Dressed lik _that_? Ya ain't got one, or ya don't 'emember? …Nod once fer the first, twice fer the second." Two nods. Rudis herself nodded. "So ya don't remember… Well I'll call ya…"

…

…

…

…

…

She could practically feel the kid's impatience. Damn it.

"…Thing's harder than I thought. Heck with it. 'll just let Sancti do it. What'ver. Hope ya'r ready kid, 'cause this one's a long trip."

Feeling the girl's slow nod, she quickly went on her way. Already she was recalling her usual route back home…

…

..

.

_**.**_

_**..**_

…

_**It's no use… She's already completely lost herself… **_

_**But…**_

_**I can't give up… I will NOT give up. **_

_**For her sake. For the world's sake! **_

_**I will save you…**_

…

_**..**_

_**.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Sometimes, we let our ambitions define us.

Sometimes, we let our wishes define us.

Sometimes, we are forced to define our wishes and our ambitions.

_Sometimes, we are forced to make the distinction between them._

Sometimes, they are one and the same.

Sometimes, they are polar opposites.

Sometimes, one or the other is right.

Sometimes, both of them are right.

But many times, one must be chosen over the other.

For the old Rudis, who was worn and rugged from her extended life as just another Daein of a poverish little village...

That day, when she met the young girl on that river, she was forced to choose between an easier life for herself.

Or to offer a chance to live to another. One who's kin many would call monsters that were never meant to be.

For the old Rudis, whose heart was dry from suffering and stress.

That day, nearing the hills were dawn never comes.

Upon the soil of Levidensis.

At the riverbank of Occursus.

_And into the golden eyes of an abandoned, orphan child._

_She saw..._

_The promise of what she always desired. What she always had. What she only then realized she had._

_Someone to call her family._

_

* * *

_

**...You have no idea how hard it is to write Rudis' speech pattern to me. **

**Anyways, I'm new to this section of . Radiant Dawn was always a great game to me, and I always had this little desire to write a story for it one day... Especially for Micaiah. Believe it or not people, I liked her character. Plus, her mysterious past... It reeks of an untold story. **

**What is the point of this story?**

**One. To explore the possible past of Micaiah. Her early life, why she isn't the Apostle. What happened? I'll try to answer these in my way.**

**Two. A simultaneous deviation from the cannon, at least in some part. You can already see some of it in this prologue in fact.**

**Three. I just like Micaiah. Deal with it.**

**Four. I needed something to keep myself occupied for the moment. Also, to prevent myself from getting rusty.**

**Anyways, liked it? Hated it? Please read and review if possible. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but flames aren't. So if you hate Micaiah and will review only to complain about it, then please don't. **


	2. Chapter I: Chariot of UnLuck

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**AU: Second chapter. I think it turned out pretty good.**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem, its characters nor its locations. Those belong to Intelligent Systems. I own only original characters, locations and names of my own invention.**

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**WARNING: Rather graphic description of... well, gore you could call it. **

_________**NOTES: Reposted. Now with 99% less Italics! Seriously, the Line Breaks of this site are a sure way to screw up a chapter. I don't know what made me use them again, but I'm sticking to the old thing of using custom ones, like the series of LB below.**_

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**L e t i t b e g i n**

_Chapter I: A Chariot of Luck for One_

_Tellius was not a continent which had a sole identifying ecosystem._

_Thanks to its size, and perhaps because of its inhabitants, Tellius presented itself as very bio-diversified._

_From simple plains to wide canyons, from bleak wastelands to beautiful prairies, from scorching deserts to thriving jungles…_

_From boundless seas to imposing islands… From peasant villages to advanced cities… From island keeps to glorious castles…_

_Tellius did not fail when it came to bestowing the Beorc with the necessary resources for their tools._

_Nor did Tellius fail when it came to presenting the Laguz with lands suited for their respective races._

_But there was one thing Tellius failed to give._

_Tellius did not give, what it could not give; a place the eternally homeless called home._

_LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB __LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB_

"**H**eave ho… 'eave ho… Well damn… The kid's 'eavier than she looks … Hrmg… Foo…"

Approximately an hour had passed since she'd found the kid. For Rudis, to turn around and cross the mud pits that existed near the river, pass some of several more hillsides, climb some slightly steep rocks, cross a rickety old bridge that needed some serious maintenance soon, through several clearings and to head into a forest, was normally a trek she made every so many days to go to the river to wash the clothes. Since she was fairly active in her youth, this was normally no sweat to her, and even sometimes went just because of the exercise. However, this time, she was not alone. On her back was currently sleeping a poor, miserable girl who was slowly bleeding to death. Already she could smell the powerful stench of blood, and how it seeped into her clothes. Rudis hurried her pace slightly. The allure of the precious silk that composed the girl's clothing was no stronger than her fear for the kid's life. At the very least, she could try to wash out the odor and use those silks to knit something else. But it would be grim task if the one currently wearing them did not live.

For the girl with silver hair, the feelings of reality were currently displaced from her mind. That is to say, while in her dreamless sleep she could feel some kind of underlying fear and pain, it was nothing compared to how she would feel if she awoke. Rudis thus believed it was better she slept blissfully unaware of how close she was to dying. She gritted her teeth. Sancti better react quickly when she got back…

Focusing back on her task, Rudis again thought about what to do with the girl. First, she would have to do something about her wounds immediately upon arriving. Merely bandaging them would not be enough; some of the cuts she had seen were pretty deep and may need stitching. She hoped she still had some balms left over for the bruises. And then her bones. She had this funny little feeling that the girl had broken more bones than just those of her right leg. How the girl had survived… whatever put her in that state, was nothing less than amazing. She could already picture the horrified screams of Sancti when she saw the girl. She winced at that; those lungs were strong enough to leave her reeling. At least those would alert the doctor. She hoped Sano could do something for her.

Next, she'd have to do something about living arrangements. All the boys lived in the same room, partly cramped due to lack of space. Their toys were kept in a closet somewhere. Sancti had the honor of sleeping in a separate bead with Rudis, due to being the only other female in the house. She figured that that was an easy answer. There was no way that she would sleep with the other boys; they were much too curious for their own good, and they would only further aggravate the kid's wounds. Rudis guessed that she could use her good old recliner to sleep. She had missed it anyway.

But more importantly, she really hoped that she wasn't getting her hopes up, or the kid's hopes up in vain. It all depended on whether or not their supplies were enough for the kid, and if it was within Sano's range.

If only that idiot was nearby…

"'Ey! Rudis, there ya 're! Waitaminute, what's that 'n yer back?"

Speak of the devil. Rudis only allowed a small smile to show through. The kid might live after all. Felix would be able to help.

Felix was one of the few adults in the village. He was one of three men, the other two begin his brother and their best friend. Felix was a man still in his prime, at twenty seven. He was of good stature with broad shoulders. A small beard the same color of his dirty blond hair was proudly unshaved. Dressed in brown worn pants and a wool jacket, he led his otherwise naked upper body showcase his strong build. He also could be quite goofy whenever he wasn't busy lazying about.

He was also quite speedy when he needed to be, which was precisely what she needed now.

"Felix! FELIX, YA IDIOT! Why didn'tcha come fer me sooner, eh? Look, doesn't' ma'er, c'mere quick!" When he caught up, she wasted no time explaining. "Yes, she be another orphan. Yes, 'hat's blood. Yes, she's dying. No, I don't know 'ow. No, it don't 'atter now. .. SHUT YER TRAP! Look, yer faster 'han me. Take her—CAREFULLY YA BULL! Her leg's broke! Get 'er back to the village, **quick.**She ain't gonna last long. The moment ya get 're, start hollering for Sano! **Get moving!**" And faster than she could get her breath back, the bewildered Felix was already moving in quick, even bounces that somehow did not hurt the broken girl in his arms.

She shook her head in mild disgust. Slow on the uptake, but quick on his coward's feet. That was lucky Felix's game. At least now the girl had a chance. Felix, being much younger and faster than her, would only take around ten minutes at most to get back, whereas it would have taken her at least thrice that amount. She only hoped he wouldn't mess up and take a wrong turn. That would be the epitome of his incompetence. Anyways…

The old woman wanted to sit down and take a breather, but she couldn't rest yet. Just in case they were needed, she set about looking for medicinal herbs. Sano sometimes took her to look for some, so she was fairly sure of her ability to recognize them once she saw some. Some of these herbs would be useful, diminishing pain or lessening the patient's awareness of feeling. Of course, her back would be screaming at her when she was done with pulling them from the earth, but alas.

Without further ado, the tired woman began a quick sweep of the area before turning to follow Felix…

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"Hm?"

Sano perked up. That wonderful low sizzle marked the beginning of her tea time. The sweet scent slowly filed in, and she took her time to smell it, take it in, and savor it prematurely. Idly, she ran her hand down the page of the book she was currently reading. Folding one of the corners, she closed it and placed the book upon a table, making her way to her fireplace where the pot was. Five minutes later, she was sitting comfortably and peacefully in her recliner, a cup of tea and some bread on a plate next to her. She loved this.

Sano was a most peculiar woman. Young and beautiful, in her early 30s, she possessed the figure of what men often called a goddess. Though she was easily capable of snagging herself any man that would die for her, her chosen profession in medicinal arts was what interested her the most. That is why she had chosen to move away from the bustle of the city and into the nearly inhospitable land of Levidensis within Daein.

Being the newest person to install oneself willingly there, she also had her house built better to accomodate her needs. So whilst the men had been rather grouchy when fulfilling her requested abode, they did so upon extracting from her a vow of honor to work for free. Not that she wouldn't have either way. As a result though, her clinic was marginally bigger than most of the "houses" in the village, spacious enough to hold both living space for her, and room for her work. She freely made use of both, seeing no reason in not using what she had. It was also the fact that she was the one got off the best deal. Of course, that wasn't to say she didn't owe some of the women for convincing a few of the more distrustful men, but that suited her just fine; Sanctimonialis was pretty cute anyways.

As for Sano herself...

Sano enjoyed calmness, such as the one that she partook in now. Reading was amongst her favorite activities; it was entertaining, peaceful and potentially enlightening. She truly enjoyed reading, especially, books that dealt in healing arts that did not involve the use of staves, of which she was not too fond of. Neither was she of the people who bore them. But let's not talk about that. Sano took pride in being an educated woman from the city, but she also took pride in her honest work as a doctor. Therefore, for Sano, to whom knowledge was worth more than money or status, living in this quaint little village as a free, charitable doctor was likewise better than giving false praise and smiles to sniveling fools and engorged egos. Especially, Sano loved to heal children. She was very aware of the unique sweetness of a child's smile as she helped them when they needed her, so she always heeded the call for whenever they needed her.

Now however, was not such a moment. Right now, there was only she, her tea, a wonderful book detailing information in herbs she would like to experiment with, her bread and nature. No adorable troublemakers running amok near her house to ask her to play with them, no insects to bother her, no Rudis yelling at the kids to quiet down, no Sancti to lecture the kids about the latest prank that they pulled on that monkey Fossor, and certainly no Felix coming in yelling at the top of his lungs about some girl on the verge of death or somethi— Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait **WHAT?**

"**SANO! SANO! SANO! BLAST IT, SANO! C'MON! 'ERE! HELP 'ER! SHE'S 'N REALLY BAD SHAPE! ****SANO!"**

**Just** what she needed… Growling, she quickly threw her book to the floor and stomped quickly into her house, swiftly preparing for the new patient. It better be at least half as bad as he makes it out to be. Irritably, she yelled right back at the fool.

"**ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! SHUT UP ALREADY! BRING HER HERE YOU IDIOT! AS IN, LAST MONTH!"**

Even as the yelling was anything but stopped, the village quickly went into a stir. Most glancing at the bundle in the man's arms, whose hunched posture disallowed them from making out anything other than her clothes and small size, were worried. The kids of course, were very curious, but the women would not allow them to keep the attitude up. Up on a tree, Fossor frowned in worry. He expected his brother to return with Rudis, not a kid! He knew Felix wasn't one to deny his requests, so he probably met Rudis who handed him the girl. Sighing, he climbed down. Perhaps he could go ask the guard for help.

…He hoped that Sano would save the girl. It was getting kind of boring with only little boys around to play with him.

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"Sancti! Sancti! Did ya hear?"

"Yes Tik, I did. I wonder what all that ruckus is about?"

"You don't know? You don't know? Wacho, Wacho, tell her!"

"Ok, so we were just practicing with our swords, you know? We 'ere really showing some good moves! Right Tik?"

"Yeah, good moves!"

"So then, outta nowhere, Felix comes in with some big red, er, thing and starts yelling like crazy! Right Tik?"

"Uh-hu, like crazy!"

"Yeah, he's going all 'Sano! Sano!'"

"Sanooooooooo!"

"And then he's just—"

"All right all right, I think I got what you're trying to say. No need to yell!", giggling, Sancti left for Sano's clinic.

She'd given a jump of surprise when Felix's yells began. She had wanted to go check out why he was doing so, but was at the moment busy getting the table ready for dinner, so she had tried to finish as quickly as she could. By the time she did though, Felix had already been shut up by Sano, so she decided to try and get it out of Tik and Wacho's mouths. As always, she had to decipher some of the situation when asking the duo. She'd also heard something about a new kid, which was worrying; Sano made sure to check all of the kids every now and then, but this was the first time one was brought in by a screaming Felix. Those were two bad signs right there.

There was also the matter of Rudis, who had failed to be mentioned up until now. She had lived with her long enough to know that she rarely ever dawdled with her chores, and thus rarely was late for any meals. Even if she didn't exactly approve of her more severe punishments, she was still somewhat worried.

It wasn't even five minutes later that she was face to face with Sano's door. She raised her hand to knock on the door when it opened by itself. Blinking, she was actually rather surprised that the face to greet her wasn't Sano, but in fact, Rudis. Before she could open her mouth to ask the obligatory question, Rudis grunted and roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, shutting the door as she did. Quickly, darkness enveloped the place, as Sano was of the type who liked darkness whenever she wasn't in immediate need of light.

Regaining her balance, the surprised Sancti could only stare in confusion at the hunched woman. Looking at her even with the lack of illumination, Sancti could hardly see the frown that was normally plastered to Rudis' face. Instead, a look of pure impassiveness was in its place.

"Well, that's a… rare occurrence.", she lamely started, but coughed into her hand lightly, regaining her composure. "Um… If I may ask, what are you doing here, Ma'am?"

"Tch… 'at else? Who'd ya think found the kid in the first place?"

"Eh?"

Clearly, her thoughts were mirrored in her expression, because Rudis only let out another grunt in response, otherwise just staring at her. To tell the truth, it was different from what Sancti was used to. Just seeing the gruff woman silently standing there instead of spouting off curses or reproaches, that is.

Of course, silence did not last. Without any warning, Rudis grabbed Sancti by the wrist and began dragging her further into the darkened house. Any protest the young woman had in her was quickly replaced with quick yelps of pain at the elder's strong grip, and even those were promptly shushed by Rudis. Sancti knew asking for where she was being taken was pointless, since she knew the place: She was most likely being taken to the room Sano elected to use for her treatments. In a matter of seconds, they were in front of the door, under which they could see plenty of light coming from. She could also hear steps that hurriedly moved from one place to another, and the sound of ragged breathing, so low that she had almost missed it completely.

Without even bothering to knock, Rudis opened the door only slightly so that they could peer into the room.

The room was as she remembered it. Clean, well organized and only with the purpose of healing in mind, it contained cabinets and closets with various small flasks and bottles that Sano used to keep some of her concoctions in. There were also some herbs packed and tied with strings in some places, likely leftovers. A desk near the wall was normally used to hold the tools and whatever Sano needed to use for the occasion. There were also plenty of pieces of paper and scrolls that were nailed to the walls, containing all kinds of medical information. In the very center of the room was a table on which Sano performed her duties. Sano herself currently had her back to them, desperately flipping through the rows of flasks in one cupboard. That gave Sancti more than enough time to catch a glimpse of what was on the table.

The very sight instantly froze her to the core.

The very first thing that she noticed at once was the stench. The foul, all-emcompasing and overpowering smell of blood was all over the place. It corrupted and clouded her senses, completely overwriting the normally clean and pure air that filed the room at any other time. The odor was so powerful that Sancti had to take her hands to her nose and mouth in order to stop herself from puking yet, she began to smell something else from just blood; the smell of something organic that had spent too much time ablaze, but not enough to become cinders; the smell of charred skin. She somehow heard the low grunt of Rudis, who merely frowned even more in utter distaste. How she could take it she did now know, but everything else that followed was enough to get her mind off that question.

The second thing that registered in her mind was the presence of blood. There was blood all over the table, blood all over a wall, blood all over the floor, on Sano's clothes, on her hands, and especially upon the body of the girl on the table. Blood was visibly flowing, albeit at a slow rate, from the numerous cuts and gashes that adorned the body of the naked girl, trickling from the flesh onto the table and from there to the floor, in a constant drip. Cuts were all over her! Her arms, her legs, her stomach… She could identify two particularly nasty ones: One that was covered over and over in bandages that attempted to stem the flow of blood, on the side. Sancti could see that they didn't do much, for they were already stained in deep red, and wouldn't hold for much more before blood began to seep through.

The other, was on her face. A painful gash that she doubted would heal without scarring. In all seriousness, it looked less dangerous than the one on the side, but it seemed to come awfully close to her eyes, as if someone had deliberately tried to blind the girl for life. It also looked somewhat jagged and irregular; she probably reacted quickly to the pain and moved her head, resulting in the shape.

Next came the bruising. In less quantity than the cuts, the bruises were still a harsh sight; she could see purple and blackish spots sprawled along the body. Mostly over the arms and torso, but she could also see them on the face. Several smaller red marks were visible on the legs. The smaller number of bruises in comparison to cuts was somewhat mitigated by the size of several; it looked as if she had taken several harsh blows from a monster! Repeated impacts of inmense force caused this, but who or what?

Nearly immediately after, her sight homed in on the legs themselves. Though her left leg looked very much injured, her right leg was what caught her attention; it was bent at an unnatural angle, broken without a doubt. She thought she could even see the bone itself slightly peeking out from the knee. She could hardly imagine how much that must've hurt! The feeling of the bone piercing her own skin... She shuddered. It must feel as if something is not where it belongs. It must feel as if a heated sword has carved through her very flesh! The broken fingers and nails barely helped the sight!

For the finishing touch to the horror and nausea awoken in her belly, there was a small hole in her right arm, on the forearm. An honest-to-Ashera **hole. **An orifice clearly visible on her arm! The skin surrounding it was even burnt! Blood was flowing profusely, even as she watched Sano hurry to cover it with bandages and wool, tying them securely to slow the flow for as long as it held.

Sancti couldn't take it anymore. Not caring if Sano saw her, not caring about the glare that Rudis sent her way, not caring about anything else at all, she turned away as fast as she could, and retched right then and there. The feeling of her last meal leaving her stomach and body through her mouth was something she despised, it being almost enough to make her vomit again. Rudis made a disgusted noise herself, though she didn't know if it was at her or at the girl's—

She puked again just thinking about her. She barely heard the strong foostepts that thundered towards the door they stood behind. She was too busy repeating in her mind all of the bodily maladies and crying to care.

The door opened, showering their forms in light. A fuming Sano stood there.

"What in the world do you think you are doing?", she bellowed. Sancti couldn't even form a response, too busy covering her face from the light and from the sight in the room, sobbing into her hands. "Oh for the love of… SANCTI! Get ahold of yourself! Stop crying, girl!" Sancti did anything but.

"Rrrgh…! I don't have time for this! Rudis! Get her to sit in the hall or something, and then **get in here!** This girl needs all the help she can get, and I need all the able hands I can get, and we need those **now!**"

The rest was a blur to Sancti. She could vaguely recall Rudis grabbing her by wrapping an arm around her shoulders then pushing her into the darkness, where she spent a while in silence even as she could hear Sano barking instructions to Rudis from beyond the door. Just sitting there in absolute silence while staring at the floor or her hands. Even as she took a seat in a chair in the waiting room, she still kept staring at the floor. Even when she could hear the frenzied steps from the other side of the door, the low breathing of the girl, the unconscious protests of the patient, she still stared at the floor.

All the time, the image of the girl with silver hair just lying in that table, surrounded and covered in her own blood remained in her thoughts. Of a girl who was positively broken beyond nearly all repair. Of a crime that would cause anyone to scream bloodcurling screams. Of the horror of laying eyes upon true carnage unleashed upon one innocent child. The extremely horrifying image would have more than enough time to burn itself well into her nightmares, before the door would finally open, at long last after an amount of time of intensive surgery that was lost to the brooding Sancti, to reveal a grim looking Sano. Hesitantly, she looked at her with a fearful expression. Sano stared right back, Rudis appearing at her side with the same face.

Both were coverd from head to toe in the blood of the girl. That alone was nearly enough to make her empty her stomach for a third time.

And at last, after staring at each other, Sancti with anxiousness and the doctor with nary an emotion, Sano gave the verdict in a cold voice.

"Success."

She would live? Th—

"But." Damnable rebuke! The doctor's expression revealed she wished there was no need for it. Sano looked away, none too happy with the result.

Almost fearfully, Sancti pressured in a small voice. "But…?"

"But it will be a completely different matter, whether she lasts past this night or not."

...She may not live beyond tonight?

Somehow, Sancti could describe how she felt next:

As if a dark blanket of an indescribable emotion befell her.

She could best present it as feeling like an anvil was dropped on her. She expected it felt as much like this to the other two women when they reached this conseus.

How poignant her little trip turned out to be…

…

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**.**

**..**

…

**Oh no… This is horrible. **

**She won't survive the night if I don't do something!**

**But…! The seal!**

**It restricts me…!**

**I… I can't leave this prison…**

**If… If only she had a stronger link with me… **

**Then perhaps I could do something!**

**As a goddess! As a being of change! As a mother!**

**I must think…**

…

…**!**

**Why?**

**Must I resort to this…?**

**Will it work?**

**Of course it will work. What am I saying?**

**The question is, can I do this?**

**The blood of the lost angels courses with almost unparalleled strength through her veins…**

**Stronger than nearly all of her ancestors.**

**Am I truly to cast onto her a hallmark of her ancestors in exchange for life?**

**The Zunanma, while the purest form of life, were also not the most alike to beorc in appearance.**

**To do this would be to single her out…**

…

**I…**

…**I have no choice…**

…**In order to ensure your survival…**

…**As well as to ensure that of the future…**

…**I must imbue you with my essence…**

…**Even if you would be less Beorc or Laguz of what you already are…**

…**Perhaps in the future, I may be able to correct this…**

…**But as of now…**

**Sleep… Sleep and dream sweet dreams for this night.**

**For your waking days will each remind you of a burden you know nothing of…**

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So much like their homes, so did Tellius not have inhabitants limited to one form.

While all shared one basic appearance.

To say everyone in Tellius was the same was like saying all trees grew to be all the same.

Just like a tree's branches will always differ from the rest and go off into their own accord.

So too, does Tellius' people differ from each other.

To say the contrary was also an err of thought.

Because just as each tree has tendencies similar to its brethren.

So too, do all of Tellius' inhabitants share some tendencies.

While these tend to vary in the various comparisons,

There is one that is shared and held by all.

That for the ones, who are eternally homeless,

Nothing but hatred and contempt.

For the ones, who are eternally dissimilar,

Nothing but rejection.

That for the ones, who are eternally branded,

Nothing but death.

So what happens when one who is eternally dissimilar becomes unique amongst the unique?

Why, to become nothing but a burden of incomprehensible magnitude is not bad.

It is, after all, hallmark of the triggers of flooding.

To which a distraught heart tears a world drowned.

So a horned angel, to a drowned world tears wrought.

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**AU: That ends the second chapter. **

____________**As of the repost, I think it looks cleaner without the whole thing being in Italics. **

____________**Say, I wonder if anyone will try to guess what I mean in this chapter. I know I'm building a possible past, but I'm also going to make a couple of BIG... aditions, you could call them. Expect to see at least one thing that doesn't really make sense unless you see it from a certain stance later. I've also just realized I made a couple of mistakes, but for convenience, I'll ignore them and handwave them later.**

____________**Anyways, seeing that this part somehow dissapeared from the finished thing, please read and review... They are kind of a motivation for some, y'know? Unless of course, you would rather wait until I posted chapter 3...**

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